Aaliyah’s brother thinks she would approve of her new Barbie doll

As a girl, Aaliyah dreamed of musical stardom — and used her Barbie dolls to act them out.

“The dolls would be singing and they’d be performing. Sometimes I’d try to get in on it,” Rashad Haughton, the late singer’s brother and a writer and director, tells TODAY.com.

Aaliyah’s childhood fantasies turned into reality as she grew up and became one of the most celebrated R&B artists of the ‘90. Sadly, the singer, whose full name was Aaliyah Haughton, passed away at the age of 22 in 2001 following a plane crash.

Nearly 24 years after Aaliyah’s death, the singer is being honored with a Barbie doll in her likeness.

Part of the Barbie Music Collector Series, the doll is being released on the singer’s birthday, Jan. 16. and will be available to purchase on the Mattel Shop for a suggested retail price of $55. (As of Jan. 16 at 9:34 a.m., the doll is sold out).

Haughton worked closely with Mattel to design a doll that would resemble his sister and capture her style. The end result? A striking doll that rocks a miniature replica of the outfit Aaliyah wore in the music video for her hit song “One in a Million.”

“This was the second album and ‘One in a Million’ was such a key song in transitioning her sound to maturity, empowerment, confidence at that point in her career,” Haughton says.

Haughton and Mattel worked together to design the doll’s outfit, which consists of a faux leather black top and matching pants with lace-up details, a zippered vest with detached sleeves and cool sunglasses. The Mattel team also enlisted the insight of Aaliyah’s stylist Derek Lee.

Haughton was “blown away” when he saw the final product and thinks his sister would approve of the edgy ensemble since her favorite color was “all black.”

“It’s still tight fitting, it’s still a little bit sexy. But it’s pants so it brings that power and that confidence and expression. It really just checked all the boxes of what my sister represents and also what Barbie represents, which is empowerment and expression,” he explains.

Best known for the musical style she called “street but sweet” and hits like “Try Again,” Aaliyah earned a host of awards throughout her career, including three American Music Awards for favorite soul/R&B female artist and two MTV Video Music Awards. She also collaborated with top musicians, including Missy Elliot and Timbaland.

Haughton regularly worked as a creative consultant for the singer. Following an Aaliyah makeup collection with M.A.C. in 2018, the singer’s Barbie doll is the latest brand collaboration Haughton has spearheaded to ensure that his sister’s legacy lives on.

“It’s like that job that I had with her is still continuing. And obviously it’s emotional at times, but it’s also wonderful because there’s a lot of meaning in that,” he says. “It brings back memories and it continues on dreams that we had when she was here. In a lot of ways, it makes me feel like things are continuing on as they should, and those dreams are still valuable and they’re still real.”

Haughton calls the collaboration with Mattel “a dream come true” for himself and Aaliyah.

“It was something that I always wanted because I know it was something that was my sister’s dream,” he says.

With her new doll, Aaliyah joins other legendary musicians who have been part of the Barbie Music Collector Series, including Gloria Estevan, David Bowie, Elvis Presley, Elton John and Stevie Nicks.

“To have my sister part of that list, it really is a testament to her legacy, and I’m elated to have this doll come out. It’s so beautiful,” Haughton says.

When asked how he wants people to remember Aaliyah, Haughton shares a quote his sister once gave during an appearance on MTV.

“What she said was, ‘I want people to remember me as a true entertainer’ because she really, truly loved what she did every single day. As hard as the work was and as challenging it was, I think it’s not work when you love what you do,” he says.

Noting that Aaliyah was always “appreciative” of her success, Haughton recalls how those dreams started in her childhood bedroom while playing with her Barbie dolls.

“It’s (about) imagination and taking that imagination and dreaming about what you want to be, then taking those steps from childhood to the future and making it real. My sister did that. Every little girl can do that too. That’s the message that I want people to take from this collaboration.”